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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 22, 2021</span></b><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">No. 2 A&T Advances to Sixth-Straight National Title Meet with Victory Over No. 3 Oregon<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The Bears defeated the Ducks 281.865-276.810 inside the Ferrell Center<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Media Link:
<a href="https://baylor.box.com/s/78xic9xypmllt6sm5n3dfhzmxe12kh1d">https://baylor.box.com/s/78xic9xypmllt6sm5n3dfhzmxe12kh1d</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For more information contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> 919-247-7585, <u>Zach_Rhodes@baylor.edu</u><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">WACO, Texas —
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The No. 2 Baylor acrobatics and tumbling team advances to the 2021 NCATA Championship Final after a 281.865-276.810 victory over rival, No. 3 Oregon in the semifinal on Thursday night
at the Ferrell Center. The Bears will face No. 1 Azusa Pacific tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in the Ferrell Center. This is the Bears (5-1) sixth consecutive NCATA Championship Final appearance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">After a close battle in the compulsory event, the Bears pulled through to take the event 38.825-38.625. Baylor scored
a 9.900 in both the pyramid and the acro heats.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">BU also took the acro event 68.475-67.800 after earning a 9.950 in the first heat, a 9.825 in the second heat, and a 9.875
in the third heat. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Both the Bears and the Ducks earned a total score of 29.575 in the pyramid heat, putting Baylor in the lead going into
halftime.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">After the half, Oregon outscored the Bears in the toss event 29.125-28.675.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Baylor came back and took the tumbling event 58.150-57.350. Freshman Kristin McCain earned a 9.850 in her aerial pass,
while junior Mercy Seay put up a 9.875 in her 6-element pass and sophomore Tori Harris came through with a 9.925 in her open pass.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Baylor took its biggest lead of the night in the team event after outscoring Oregon, 96.990-92.960. This gave the Bears
the 281.865-276.810 victory over the Ducks.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">QUOTE FROM COACH MULKEY</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“I am beyond proud of my team. This was not our best day and I think they would agree with me, but we stepped up when we needed to step up. We had some mishaps in toss and didn’t even have
the best tumbling that we usually have but I’m just really proud of them keeping calm and cool, while going out there and working together. I’m so proud of this group and there’s still room from improvement going into the championship.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">WHAT’S NEXT</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The Bears will take on No. 1 seed Azusa Pacific in the 2021 NCATA National Championship Final on Friday night at 7 p.m. inside the Ferrell Center.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">For updates on the program, follow @BaylorAcroTumb on Twitter and Instagram and @BaylorAcrobaticsandTumbling on Facebook.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">Zach Rhodes</span></b><span style="color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">C: 919-247-7585 | O: 254-710-3784<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/" title="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D737C5.C240A360" alt="signature_1676200726"></span></a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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